~~~~~
“We must talk,” declared Praba.
The two boats slowed, coming closer togther in the swell, just beyond the cliff that jutted into the sea. Praba felt an anxiety that he had not experienced since the murder of his father. He liked the Pantai girls but he knew the Bahoi tribesmen would like them too. There was no way his family and everyone at Likupang could be safe if the family joined, and they had just lost Agung!
“This is a big problem,” he told them. “Agung is the man the Bahoi tribesmen fear – we need more men in Likupang to defend everyone.”
“You saw he wasn’t going to leave the girls,” said Bandri. “And you can see they want him there too.”
“Look how the boy gave that lovely gift to Ayu,” Joyah chipped in emotionally. “He did that himself.”
Praba ran his hand through his hair in frustration:
“We need more men!” he shouted. “Don’t you understand!?”
Both women started to weep, but Praba’s mind whirled with emotions and thoughts too powerful to take heed of such things.
“We have to try and understand Agu,” Ayu pleaded, tears running from her eyes. “He doesn’t know how to handle his feelings. We have to give him time – everybody wants him back.”
Unable to change what was happening Praba shook his head and glared at his troublesome younger brother:
“We’ve been away too long - we need to get back fast!” he blared. “Can you do that, Bandy?”
7 Worlds Apart
Bandri could see everyone running down the beach as they approached. The waves were breaking vigorously onto the sand, casting white spray into the air. The children ran down into the edge of the surf, happy and shouting with the adults following.
Their boats surfed onto the beach. Rukma helped his daughter step out into the crowd.
“The family is looking after Agu – he’s very happy,” she proclaimed.
Bandri lifted himself out of the boat, greeted firstly by a smiling Melati who gave him a long hug, and then Sukma. He looked down into their innocent pretty faces, feeling relieved and protective. Sukma seemed to be hugging him for an overly long time with her ear pressed to his chest.
“I’m happy to see you dear sister - and you too Suk.”
After greetings from Endah and the others, Joyah started to explain in detail what had happened during the visit. Breaking away from the crowd, Bandri and Ayu held hands and walked up the beach to their house. Ayu’s left arm cradled under her breast the beautiful seashell with its golden cargo.
Ayu gazed at the two golden honeycombs in the ornate pearl-pink opening of the heavy shell, and then put it carefully into the storage hammock that hung from the joists. The solid blunt spines held the shell safely in the fine mesh so that it swung gently in its cot with the honeycombs uppermost.
She turned to look at Bandri who had just collected a container of mountain water from the stream. He closed the door. They stood together in the warmth and amber light of the peaceful room, holding each other close and sharing kisses; kisses long and tender, kisses to make up for all those dangerous days apart; the stress of the past receding as their passion took over and they lived in the present.
All that separated their upper bodies was the thin fabric of her sarong. Locked together they swayed gently on their bare feet, standing on the dimpled floor of smooth pebbles and fine sand. Savouring the silence each waited for the other as they held each other upright. They waited and breathed in the closeness of the other.
Their bodies reached a consensus. He scooped her up in his arms and stood briefly in the middle of the room. Her head collapsed onto his shoulder and her eyes told him what she wanted. Stepping to their broad bamboo bed, he laid her carefully down where the life-giving water could satisfy their thirst and wash their naked bodies.
Their bodies glowed through a veneer of perspiration as she lay with her head on his chest. Through the gaps over the walls the setting sun threw yellow sunbeams above the lovers.
He remembered something. His left hand reached out and felt the crumpled material of his kathok on the floor. It was still in the pocket.
Fumbling around he delved into the deep pocket and pulled out the nugget. He rinsed it in the vessel of water beside the bed, and then held it up to catch a beam of light.
“A little ‘something’ for you.”
She opened her eyes, and looked up.
“It’s lovely Bri,” she mumbled, still dozy.
He chuckled, and laid the nugget in her palm.
“Thank you,” she murmured more cogently, feeling its surprising weight in her hand. “What is it?”
“I don’t know – it’s not bronze – but something else.”
He had an idea.
Her head slipped off his chest as he left her lying on the bed looking at the shiny rock. Getting to his feet he stepped unclothed to the hanging seashell, and carefully prised out a honeycomb, returning to lie down beside her with mischief in his eyes.
He offered the honeycomb to her mouth as she lay naked on the bed. With an impish smile she took a modest nibble, breaking open the honey-filled waxen cells. Golden syrup spilled out and dribbled. Another sticky bite encouraged more glistening drips onto her giggling chin and neck.
She put the nugget down on her flat stomach, and it settled into the subtle depression of her belly button. Holding the honeycomb, she fed them its energy. Picking up the nugget, he held it under the dripping comb, turning it around a little as the honey clung to the rock, and then held it up above them in the beam of sunlight. There it glowed, a great golden translucent drop of honey. She gasped at its beauty, and giggled as he put the tiny phallus between her open lips. With inviting eyes she closed her lips on the honeyed gift.
The smooth sweetness of the honey drops fused with the faint saltiness of perspiration and passion. She yearned again the pushing apart of her flesh and accepted him into her very being, willing him to impregnate her. The bamboo bed creaked again with pleasure and joy, while the nugget jostled beside them on the polished bamboo wood, finally rolling over the edge and falling to the floor.
The Tropical Sun - Belief, Love and Hate Page 16
